I used to believe that no matter what criminals said or did, our country and the state of California would always side with law and order. I used to believe people were smart enough to distinguish right from wrong and would not be manipulated by rhetoric, especially by criminals or those associated with criminals. I used to believe that only a small number of people, like the ACLU, supported criminals and that the vast majority of people supported the police and wanted a society where they can live and work free from fear. I was wrong. Times have changed.

In the words of sports broadcaster Warner Wolf, “Let’s go to videotape.” Over the years, I have seen countless reports of abuse by police. In these reports, the media often failed to check their facts, opting for sensationalized reporting to achieve high ratings instead of focusing on “factual” news reporting. Take, for example, the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The news reported Brown was shot for no reason and had his hands raised above his head when he was shot. That turned out not to be true, yet it led to rioting in the streets and even protests here in Los Angeles. It was a false narrative driven by lies. The media portrays cops as brutal, racist killers who shoot unarmed black men at an alarming rate. However, what they don’t tell you in their reports is that the officers involved in these incidents are often minorities themselves and that the suspects always failed to comply with police orders or ran from the police. I have yet to see a news story about a suspect who was shot for complying with the police. I’m not saying we minimize the tragedy of an unarmed person being shot by police. That should concern everyone. But, the insinuation that the police want to kill unarmed black men is outrageous. In fact, I would say most officers would be quite distressed after killing an unarmed suspect, even if justified and reasonable based on the circumstances.

Speaking of reasonable, Assembly Member Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) held a press conference announcing her legislation to change decades-long court criteria related to police shootings and use of force from the current legal standing of “reasonable” to a new standard of “necessary.” In other words, she wants cops prosecuted for shooting unarmed suspects regardless of the circumstances. Just a few years ago, a law like this would have never been created, let alone supported by other legislators. Not so today. Everyone wants to jump on the ACLU/Black Lives Matter bandwagon. Nobody, not the media nor the legislators, want to talk about the number of confrontations faced by police every day and the percentage of misconduct that occurs per contact. It’s far lower than misconduct by doctors, lawyers, teachers and preachers.

Just two years ago, Assembly Member Weber was able to pass a law allowing convicted felons to vote while incarcerated, overturning the old law that allowed them to vote after being released from custody. She claimed this would help felons perform their civic duty and help them acclimate back into society. Really? What she really meant was that it would help get votes for liberal legislators and help pass laws supporting criminals.

How’s that working out? I’m glad you asked! In 2011, Governor Brown dumped thousands of convicted felons into local jails to reduce the prison population. This forced local jails to release thousands of misdemeanants to make room for felons who should be in state prison. In 2014, California passed Proposition 47, and despite being called The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, it was merely a catchy name used to fool voters. This law did nothing to improve public safety in neighborhoods or schools. Instead, it reduced many felonies to misdemeanors, such as narcotics and theft. A person can walk into a store, steal up to $950 worth of product every day and never go to jail. Is this really happening? The LASD reported that they have one person who has been arrested 89 times since this law took effect, and yet he cannot be incarcerated under this new law. He is not alone. The word is out, and the criminals are capitalizing on the weakened laws. In November 2016, Governor Brown and other anti-public safety coalitions placed an initiative on the ballot, Proposition 57. This proposition allowed for the release of tens of thousands of convicted felons and somehow earned the title of The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act. This new law released so-called non-violent felons out into society. Interestingly, rape of an unconscious person is considered non-violent and so is the trafficking of a child. How could something like this pass, you may ask? The support of the governor, a weak title and summary, which is determined by the Attorney General, who works for the governor, and a 15-to-1 ratio in fundraising advantage thanks to the ACLU and others.

The ACLU, to its credit, is an organization to be reckoned with. They are organized and well-funded. Black Lives Matter is supported by criminals and their families and has gotten traction due to sensationalized reporting and a liberal media. Politicians are now capitalizing on this movement in support of criminals because they want to kowtow to those who can get them elected. A politician’s constituency used to be composed of mainstream, everyday citizens who wanted to live free and safe. Not today. The electoral base is now criminals and anti-police activists. Sadly, many well-intentioned folks are falling prey to what they see on TV and the anti-police rhetoric.

The criminals are running the state, and they aren’t done coming after law enforcement. There are efforts afoot to increase civilian oversight, erode police rights and protections, and push for more prosecutions of officers. The new racial profiling law, AB 953, (also by Assembly Member Weber) is being marketed as a tool to collect police stop data to identify if officers are racially profiling. It will not work, and the data will not provide any useful information. Why? Because it doesn’t include the conduct of the person being contacted (e.g., criminal activity, traffic violations and warrants) and it doesn’t account for the racial makeup of the area where the contact occurs. I have reviewed studies on racial profiling across the country from over 10 years ago, and the methodology of this new law has significant flaws. But, was it created to address racial profiling? I am not convinced. This law will result in officers making fewer stops in order to avoid the risk of being called a “racist cop.” Fewer stops equals fewer arrests, and fewer arrests means fewer criminals in jail. That is the real goal of these criminal groups and their supporters!

So, to answer my question in the title of my article, the bad guys — the criminals — are running this state. Sure, there are many good people in the Legislature, and there is still a strong show of support for law enforcement from the general public, but there have been significant inroads by the criminal element to influence and control this state. If this continues, crime will spiral out of control, and it will be near impossible to recruit for the job of police officer. It will take a revolt by the good citizens to pull the pendulum back to the middle and restore law and order to California. I am not sure if we are there yet, but we will find out later this year at the polls when we see who gets elected and what initiatives pass. Hold onto your hats!

Over the past few months, we have seen numerous promotions at all ranks in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. We congratulate those promoted and hope they will help turn the Department around in regards to leadership. Lately, we have seen far too many Department executives focused on how to fly under the radar and how to manage their responsibilities without drawing attention to themselves. What we need are Department executives willing to recognize problems and offer solutions (in other words, lead). Saying “there is no morale problem” over and over doesn’t mean there isn’t a morale problem. Telling the Sheriff “there isn’t a morale problem” and “things are great under your leadership” may help you get promoted, but it doesn’t address the problems in the Department. For Sheriff McDonnell (or any sheriff, for that matter) to be successful, he needs executives who tell him the truth, face difficult situations head on and offer solutions.

One area that has had the biggest negative impact on morale is the excessive overtime and CARPing, both the result of understaffing and a lack of effective hiring and retention plans. For many years, PPOA has been telling this Sheriff and the sheriffs before him that the Department needs to make recruitment and retention a top priority. We recommended the creation of a recruitment task force to address the problem. Our concerns fell on deaf ears until last year, when Sheriff McDonnell announced he would make recruitment a top priority. Shortly thereafter, the Department created a recruitment and retention task force. We are grateful that McDonnell created the task force, but we are less than impressed with its progress. In eight months of meetings and discussions, we have yet to see a clear assessment of the problem, a task or goal or a date to accomplish whatever its goals may be. The only thing we are aware of is that Personnel just hired 20 more recruiters from around the Department. Although this is a step in the right direction, the Department will never fix the problem if it keeps moving at a snail’s pace. Case in point: Last year, the Department claimed to hire deputies at the fastest rate possible. How did it do? By the end of the year, the Department’s sworn personnel had decreased by 100! In addition, there are record numbers of employees relieved of duty (ROD), folks going off work due to injuries (IOD) and retiring early. Is the Department touting this as a success? I would call it an epic failure!

Recruitment is only part of the problem. Retention is the other. We have seen a sharp rise in folks retiring early (before age 55). Many are retiring after the 25-year mark so they get the medical coverage in retirement. Many have said they are unhappy with the Sheriff’s Department or unhappy with the negativity associated with the job because of negative media coverage and anti-police sentiment. Some say they are fed up with the favoritism, excessive discipline and overall (mis)treatment of the employees. It is unfortunate that we are losing experienced employees unnecessarily. The Sheriff needs to look into solutions to the retention and recruitment problems so that he can keep his experienced employees around to help the younger employees.

Once again, let me outline just a few things the Sheriff’s Department could implement immediately that would improve recruitment and retention:

Expedite the deputy hiring for our nonsworn who are current employees with good work histories (e.g., custody assistants and security officers/assistants). Expedite does not mean to cut corners or to circumvent the background process. It simply rewards those who already work with the Department by putting them first, before nonemployees. Eliminate the polygraph for current employees who already took the polygraph when they were hired.

Use the polygraph process “for cause” or as a tool to assist background investigators. It should not be pass/fail or the catch-all disqualification for “using deceptive measures” without additional proof. We did not do this in the past when I worked backgrounds. We worked the cases based on the information the polygraph examiner gave us. We didn’t just DQ them.

Work with the Office of Health Programs to update our medical examination process for candidates. We are losing great candidates to other police departments far too often because of a DQ for medical reasons by OHP.

Use recruiters who have commonalities with the folks we are recruiting. For example, send deputies from Louisiana to Louisiana to recruit out-of-staters, use former military (or current military reserves) to recruit from the military, ask department members of a particular race, gender and sexual orientation to help recruit from that population of the public. But wouldn’t that require a massive recruitment unit? No. The unit has specially trained recruiters knowledgeable in the hiring process. They would partner with the employees who have the characteristics needed to recruit for specific groups.

Expand the academy training staff and the use of other facilities for training purposes. Move classroom training or advanced officer training to other locations such as the community colleges. A common complaint I hear is the inability to get time for our EVOC training at Pomona Fairgrounds. But when the Board of Supervisors checked with Pomona Fairgrounds, the fairgrounds had plenty of time available for the Department to do EVOC training. Also, Irwindale Speedway offered their facilities for EVOC training. Enough excuses, folks. Let’s make it happen!

Create a “Legacy Program” whereby family members of current and retired employees are expedited through the process ahead of “off the street” candidates. Who would know better than current and former employees whether someone is suited for this career?

Each day and each month the Department wastes before it implements real solutions, the bigger the problem becomes. My greatest fear is an employee will be killed falling asleep on the job because of excessive overtime. This fear should exist in every Department executive and motivate them to fix the problem! Let’s not wait until that day comes. It is incumbent on all of us to find solutions, join forces, put egos aside and move forward, not backward (and to not even stand still). We can do it, but not if the Department buries its head in the sand and ignores the problem. It’s time for leaders to step up and lead! It’s time for others to get out of the way. We cannot afford to be stagnant any longer. I hope Sheriff McDonnell will demand from his management team real solutions and a time frame to accomplish them. It is time for him to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is time for leaders to emerge and lead. I would rather see Department executives take a chance at something and fail than see them sit on their hands for fear of failing.

When I was a young deputy just starting my career in the mid-’80s, I was not a member of any union. I really didn’t understand the value of unions, so I didn’t join. I made several mistakes and my lack of understanding about unions nearly cost me my job. One night, I was involved in a fight with an inmate. Not unusual back then, but this inmate was different. His mother was an U.S. attorney. On my day off, I got a call from my sergeant. “The FBI is here and they are interviewing all the inmates about your fight last night. You’d better consult your union,” he said.

As a young deputy, I didn’t know what to do, but I certainly regretted not joining the union. One of the basic and most important benefits of being part of a union is legal representation. I was up the proverbial creek! But I was lucky. The inmate I got in the fight with actually told the truth! I was cleared of any wrongdoing, thanks to his statements. Needless to say, I joined the union immediately after this incident.

Then, in the mid-’90s, I promoted to sergeant. I was supportive of unions but still didn’t really understand what they did. So I paid my dues like most everyone else. I wasn’t always happy with my union. In fact, many times I was very upset with them. Over my 30-plus-year career, I have had bad experiences with a variety of unions. When I was a detective, my union attorney was told not to testify on my behalf because the attorney’s boss felt it would damage the firm’s relationship with management if the attorney testified to what was said between them. Thanks for looking out for my best interest! (Note: The attorney was great, but the integrity of the firm was questionable.) Next, when I was trying to promote to lieutenant, I turned to another union that offered attorneys instead of labor representatives, thinking this would be to my advantage. I was wrong. The attorney made a legal mistake that took away my strongest appeal argument. My appeal was denied and it took me four more years to promote. I was not happy with that union.

Despite these personal experiences, I still had faith in unions. I understood the value of a unified front and strength in numbers even if they weren’t perfect. But I really had no idea what they did until I got involved in PPOA. I, like many of us, complained about our salaries. I recall someone saying, “Put your money where your mouth is and do something about it!” So I did. I joined the PPOA negotiating team. I was very happy with the negotiations and we did very well for our members. But I learned just how hard the union fights for its members and just how hard it is fighting against management.

Like a shark, I think the taste of blood might have whipped me into a frenzy. I actually enjoyed the challenge, but I only knew victory at that time. So I joined the PPOA Board of Directors to get more involved. Wow! What an eye-opener! I learned that PPOA was more than just contract negotiations and legal representation. They had a credit union, offered supplemental insurance, ran a charity, helped members in need and filed lawsuits on behalf of the membership. But what impressed me most was the vigor and effort that went into fighting for individual members against wrongdoing by managers and bad policies and practices. That is still true today.

Just as when I was a young deputy, some complain about their union and claim it doesn’t do anything. But they really don’t know what the unions have done because they are not engaged in their union. They misunderstand the power of the union and believe the union is there to get them out of trouble when they make mistakes: “The union is useless if it can’t get me out of trouble when I beat a guy senseless, take his drugs, sell them on the street for a little extra cash and sleep with the suspect’s girlfriend, promising her not to testify at trial … all on videotape.” Umm. Really? The highest-paid attorneys aren’t going to be able to save your job in a case like this!

I encourage every union member to get involved and learn more about your union. Go to our website, www.ppoa.com, and review all the benefits, successful legislation and litigation fought on behalf of our members and all cops. In fact, PPOA offers far more than most other similarly sized unions. We offer attorneys from many different law firms to avoid conflicts of interest and to give members more options. We have our own credit union, with four branches, and our own insurance company. We provide financial assistance such as financial planners and retirement seminars, wills and trusts, mortgage lenders and a free notary service. We have a deeply discounted online uniform store. We do it all with one of the lowest dues structures of any union. We have an active charitable foundation, the Star & Shield Foundation. Because of our reputation, management asks us for input and we sit on various commissions and task forces. We are active locally and statewide, as well as nationally defending this profession. With all that said, we are not miracle workers and we aren’t able to get everything we want for our members. But rest assured, we will always fight for our members.

Our strength, however, comes directly from our membership. Unity is the key to our success, and our power comes from the willingness of our members to stand together and fight as one. Management is aware of this. So are outside influences like big corporations and anti-pension supporters. Now is the time to stand together, more than at any other time in history. You don’t have to lead the charge but you all should be willing to help in some way. It might be by serving as a delegate and keeping your peers informed about union activity. It might be by wearing a union T-shirt and attending a rally. It might be by writing a letter to your legislator when your union asks. It might be by speaking at hearings or attending events. The point is, there are many ways to support your union in your own way.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In the last issue of Star & Shield, I discussed the changing of the guard at PPOA as we bid farewell to Paul Roller, our executive director for the last 18 years. After an exhaustive search, we found the right person to step in where Paul left off. Wayne Quint, our new executive director, has extensive knowledge and background in law enforcement labor. Please be sure to read his first article in this issue of Star & Shield. I have known Wayne for many years and I am confident in his leadership. I know he will continue our tradition of “Professionals Representing Professionals” and ensure that PPOA maintains the highest standards of service to our members. Welcome aboard, Wayne!

MORALE

For years, we have been complaining about the decline in morale in the Sheriff’s Department. Some improvements have been made, but the Department is nowhere close to where it should be. We are currently meeting with Sheriff McDonnell’s chief of staff to review our recommendations to improve morale based on the morale survey of our members. I am hopeful to get a few more, actually many more, items checked off to improve morale. These are a few big ones the Sheriff needs to focus on:

Recruitment and hiring inefficiencies

Promotional processes and selection for all ranks

Career series for non sworn classifications such as custody assistants and security officers/assistants

Fixing these areas of concern is not monumental, but based on the speed at which they’re being addressed (or not), you would think they were. It will take strong leadership from the top. The Sheriff needs to commit to fixing these areas and demand that his subordinate executives complete the tasks quickly and with utmost priority (or replace them with people who can). The ball is in your court, Sheriff!

First, I want to wish everyone a happy new year, and I hope that 2018 brings happiness and health to all our members and their families. As I mentioned in past articles, 2017 proved to be a difficult year with tragedies befalling many of our members. I ask all of you to remember those who were injured in the Las Vegas shooting rampage and those who lost their lives through other tragic events.

Changing of the Guard

As we move forward into 2018, PPOA will be undergoing significant changes. Foremost is a changing of the guard. Our executive director, Paul Roller, will be retiring after 18 years of service to PPOA. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to work alongside Paul during my nine years as PPOA president, as well as my few years as a PPOA Board member. I learned a lot about unions from Paul, and his experience proved to be invaluable in guiding me in the right direction. I relied heavily on Paul to navigate the tricky waters of union business, politics and contract negotiations. Every member of PPOA, active and retired, owes a great deal of gratitude to Paul for his leadership and guidance in making PPOA one of the strongest and most respected unions in California. In Paul’s final article in this issue of Star & Shield, you will hear him speak about integrity, service and honesty. He drilled that into the staff and, more importantly, he led by example. Those tenets serve as the backbone of PPOA and are at the core of our mission. I am grateful for all that he has done for the organization and our membership. I wish him a long and joyous retirement with his wonderful wife, Lillian. I know that even though he is retiring, he will always be available to us for advice and guidance — PPOA is in his blood. Happy retirement, partner!

Our incoming executive director, Wayne Quint Jr., has quite an extensive background in the law enforcement labor movement. You will read more about his background in his first article in next month’s issue of Star & Shield. I have known Wayne for nearly 10 years, from his years of leadership as president of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs to his role as executive director of the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation. I look forward to working with him to continue PPOA’s longstanding tradition of integrity, service and honesty.

More Changes at PPOA

In early 2018, PPOA will be introducing a stateof-the-art mobile app. After conducting thorough research on existing law enforcement association apps, we decided to create one from scratch with more “bells and whistles.” The most critical part of this mobile app is the ability for our members to contact PPOA for help in times of need. Whether they’re involved in a shooting or a use-of-force incident, subjected to interviews by supervisors or internal investigators, or in need of legal defense, our members will be able to reach a PPOA representative with a click of a button! The app will have many other capabilities as well. You will have access to our discount uniform store and discounted products and services from PPOA-approved vendors — just as if you were shopping on Amazon (OK, we aren’t going to be that big!). You will also have access to your MOUs, salary schedules and much more with a touch of a button. Lastly, you will receive emergency alert notifications, such as deputy-involved shootings or major disasters, so you can stay up to date. I am very excited about this new mobile app! Look for a rollout of the app in the near future! Be sure to download it and try it out!

This year, you will see more Board members (and me) visiting your units of assignment. While some members call or email us when they have issues, many do not reach out to us even though there are significant problems in their units of assignments. We want to hear from you, and we believe we can get a better grasp of the issues by coming to your workplace and talking to more members. Of course, you can still call or email us, and we will try to resolve your issues. Although you may not know this, we have resolved many issues by dealing directly with the Sheriff or assistant sheriffs and have seen improvements (clearly not enough, though!). But we cannot fight what we do not know. Please reach out to your PPOA Board representative or me and keep us informed.

This year is the 40th anniversary of the POPA Federal Credit Union (POPA FCU). As many of you know, PPOA established the credit union to provide financial benefits to our members (note: PPOA, the union, changed its name many years ago to coincide with other police association acronyms, but the credit union kept its original name). POPA FCU will host special celebrations at their branches throughout the year, and you will see our PPOA BBQ trailer at each location grilling for POPA FCU members. Hope to see you there!

Contract Negotiations

Bargaining Unit 612 (sergeants and lieutenants) started negotiations with the County late last year. The negotiations are continuing as our current contract is coming to an end. There are many rumors about what is and is not being negotiated and various alleged offers on the table — every one of these rumors is false! Please do not spread wild rumors about these contract negotiations, as they may negatively impact the efforts of your negotiating team. Be patient, and rest assured that your negotiating team will get the best contract possible. The other PPOA bargaining units will begin their negotiations later this year, and it is very important that PPOA members communicate with their negotiating team about the issues on the table. You can reach out to your PPOA Board representative and discuss negotiation issues with them. I am hopeful that we can get another good contract and address many other issues besides salary. Lastly, I sift through hundreds of emails every day and talk to hundreds of members throughout the year. I care about each and every member, but sometimes things just fall off my radar. If I haven’t gotten back to you on an issue, please reconnect with me so we can continue discussions on how to resolve your concerns. I apologize if I dropped the ball or simply haven’t contacted you for follow up. You can reach me at bmoriguchi@ppoa.com.

On October 1, a crazed gunman opened fire at thousands attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. To date, 58 people were killed and 546 injured in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. This tragic event will be discussed in another article in this issue, but I wanted to convey my thoughts on the response from the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department and its personnel. I often have to deal with the negative side of the Department: bad policies, an unfair promotion system, excessive discipline, etc. However, what I saw in Las Vegas made me proud of the Department, its executives (yes, I really said it) and the personnel who responded to help. I, along with fellow PPOA Board member Chris Lee, flew out to Las Vegas to assist our members and other law enforcement officers who were impacted by this shooting. We visited LASD Deputy Lori Kammer and Sergeant Andy Dahring, who were both shot during this horrific incident. Lori and Andy were in good spirits during our visits with each of them and both are recovering from their wounds.

Immediately after the incident occurred, the Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department reacted. I was in communication with the LASD Operations Center, which was established by the Department at a local Las Vegas hotel in record time. It was fully operational and, every time I called, they were able to provide me with up-to-date information about the situation. We were prepared to offer financial support as needed, but the Department was “taking care of” all financial needs. I was told that Assistant Sheriff Jill Serrano authorized funding without balking at all. This was surprising, as I anticipated the Department telling us that they were short of money or had no funds available for this type of incident. I expected them to tell me that the money was already earmarked for new car stickers and gold buttons (not really!). My point is that I was very impressed that Assistant Sheriff Serrano made the well-being of the injured employees a priority. Some may say that’s a no-brainer, but in my experience, that response was far from the norm in this Department.

Thank you, Assistant Sheriff Serrano! Assistant Sheriff Serrano arrived at the hospital in Las Vegas to visit Andy Dahring while we were there. I was able to express my thanks to her then, but at the time I didn’t realize that she was going to do even more to shock me. Andy was seriously injured but was in a non-trauma hospital due to the overcrowding of hospitals in Las Vegas. Frankly, he was not getting the medical attention that he needed. With clearance from doctors, Assistant Sheriff Serrano flew Andy back to Los Angeles in King Air and then had him transported to a local hospital for better treatment. As far as I know, there was no meeting of the minds to discuss the public perception of such a decision, the liability, the PR spin that may be necessary or the pros and cons of such a decision. Assistant Sheriff Serrano put the life of Andy Dahring before all else. Again, thank you, Assistant Sheriff Serrano! I know Sheriff Jim McDonnell also made the trip to Las Vegas and visited the injured employees, and I am also grateful for his compassion and leadership during this difficult time. While visiting Andy and Lori in their respective hospitals, I was also impressed by the number of Department personnel providing comfort (and security) to our injured folks. There were four to six uniformed personnel standing in the hallways outside their rooms. How much did that cost? Who cares! Once again, the Department put the care and comfort of our injured before costs. Of course, they didn’t fly to Las Vegas first class and weren’t staying in expensive honeymoon suites. My point is that the Department did what was right and did it without hesitation.

When the chips were down and we needed the Department to step up, they did. I watched not only Department executives, but personnel of all ranks step up and do an outstanding job in Las Vegas. I was so proud of every one of them. It reminded me why I joined the Sheriff ’s Department and became a peace officer. During the worst of situations, we stand side by side and work together. All the pettiness and favoritism are irrelevant at that moment in time. This is when we are at our best. When help is needed or when a crisis occurs, we are united. Kudos to everyone who was involved in the Las Vegas response, whether in Las Vegas or in Los Angeles — job well done! But our job is not over. It is just beginning. We have Department folks who have suffered a great deal and need our support and prayers. Reach out to them and let them know that we are family and that we care about their recovery. They will have a long road to healing, and each situation will be unique. Be there to support them as friends, colleagues, partners and family. We are very good at handling emergencies, but sometimes not so good at following up. I am as guilty as the next guy. Let’s make it a point to lend our support throughout the recovery process and beyond. If PPOA can help in any way, we will be there to offer all the support that we can. Please continue to pray for all the people who have been impacted by this horrific tragedy.